DON’T BE A BACK SEAT BULLET In 1984 New York, under Governor Mario Cuomo, became the first state to pass a law making it mandatory to use a seat belt if seated in the front of a car. Now, in 2020, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed legislation effective November 1, 2020, requiring all passengers over…
CONVERSATIONS AND DOCUMENTS EVERY SENIOR SHOULD HAVE Are you a senior? Have you had “that conversation?” Yes, “that conversation,” the one that you should have with someone who is, or perhaps several people who are, near and dear to you and younger than you. Yes, “that conversation,” about personal and intimate details of your life….
FIREWORKS IN 2020! UPDATE: Do not bring in fireworks from Pennsylvania! Late on Monday, June 29, 2020 Governor Cuomo announced that he was “directing the New York State Police to establish a temporary Fireworks Enforcement Detail to stop illegal fireworks being brought to New York from Pennsylvania. This is in response to a spike of…
GAY RIGHTS ARE CIVIL RIGHTS (NY Times editorial headline 6/16/2020) On Monday, June 15, 2020, the United States Supreme Court issued a decision which extended workplace protections to millions of people across the United States. Justice Gorsuch, writing for a 6-3 majority, ruled that federal law prevents employers from firing workers for being lesbian, gay,…
VIRTUALLY REOPENING THE CIVIL COURTHOUSE If you must bring a lawsuit against a person, a business, or for some other legal relief, you need to go to court. The New York State legal system never completely closed although, from mid-March to mid-May, it did pause almost all activity. That has now changed. It is now…
THE HEALTH EMERGENCY AND PERSONAL INJURY LITIGATION All aspects of the practice of law have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. From suspects who must appear in front of judges by video rather than in open court, to law-mandated board meetings that must now take place by Zoom, to the signing of Wills remotely rather…
BUSINESS INTERRUPTION INSURANCE DURING CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC Are you concerned about business interruption and whether your insurance covers you? Here in the Hudson Valley, the coronavirus has spread rapidly. The state and local governments have responded with closure of non-essential businesses and “shelter in place” orders. Some businesses have fallen in the middle, open but restricted. This…
CIVIL LITIGATION IN THE TIME OF CORONAVIRUS If you have a civil litigation case that you want to begin, nothing will stand in your way. What happens thereafter, in light of coronavirus, is being determined anew almost daily. Like much of our country, the New York State court system has adapted and now embraced…
SLIP AND FALL – NOW WHAT? Here in the Hudson Valley, the winter means it is slip and fall season. If you slip or trip and fall and get hurt because of the negligence of someone else on their property, you may well be entitled to financial damages for your pain and suffering. Negligence generally…
AVOIDING SLIP AND FALLS WHEN YOU’RE 55 AND OLDER Being 55 years old is surely is not as old as 55 used to be. Now at 55 you can be fully employed, if that be your pleasure, and looking forward to many more productive years. You can volunteer, exercise, travel, participate in sports or,even…
